This invention relates to an electronic parts-feeding tray feeder for containing trays, each storing electronic parts, and for feeding the trays to an electronic parts-mounting apparatus.
One known method of feeding electronic parts, such as semiconductor chips, uses a tray feeder. In this tray feeder, trays, each storing a plurality of electronic parts in a generally-flat manner, are received or contained in a container such as a magazine, and the trays are sequentially taken out of the magazine, and are fed to a pickup position of a transfer head. The conventional tray feeder will be described below with reference to a drawing.
FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the conventional tray feeder. In FIG. 7, the tray feeder 1 comprises a magazine 4 containing a number of pallets 3 each holding a tray 2, and the magazine 4 is moved up and down by lifting-lowering means (not shown). A drawing portion 5, onto which the pallet 3 can be drawn from the magazine 4, is provided at that side of the tray feeder 1 facing an electronic parts-mounting apparatus. The pallet 3, holding the tray 2, is drawn onto the drawing portion 5 by a pallet-moving mechanism, and is fed to a pickup position of a transfer head. A replenishing portion 6 is provided on the rear side of the tray feeder 1, and the pallet, holding the empty tray, is transferred onto this replenishing portion 6, and the pallet, on which a fresh tray is installed, is recharged into the magazine through this replenishing portion 6.
The conventional tray feeder of the above construction, however, suffers from the following problems. First, the vertical position or height of the drawing portion 5 is fixed, and the magazine 4 is adapted to be moved up and down so as to draw the required pallet. With this construction, the height of the tray feeder body must be made higher than the level of a path of feed of the electronic parts by an amount larger than the height of the magazine. Therefore, the operator is prevented from viewing the interior of the electronic parts-mounting apparatus, and besides the efficiency of the maintenance-inspection operation is low. Furthermore, since the replenishing portion 6 projects toward the operator side, the area or space, occupied by the tray feeder, is large, and this is one of factors in the failure to achieve a space-saving construction of the tray feeder connected to the electronic parts-mounting apparatus. Thus, because of its overall construction, the conventional tray feeder has problems that the operation efficiency is low and that it is difficult to achieve a compact design of the tray feeder.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic parts-feeding tray feeder which achieves an excellent operation efficiency, and is compact in size.
An electronic parts-feeding tray feeder is disclosed, including a container containing a plurality of pallets in a stacked manner, each of the pallets holding a tray storing electronic parts, the pallets being sequentially taken out of the container, and then being fed to a pick-up position where the electronic parts are picked up by a transfer head of an electronic parts-mounting apparatus a drawing portion for drawing the pallet from the container to be placed thereon, lifting-lowering means for vertically moving the drawing portion; a non-mounted-parts discharge portion provided above the container so as to receive those electronic parts which are not mounted and are to be discharged; and a replenishing portion for receiving the pallet, holding the empty tray from which the electronic parts have been picked up, and for recharging the pallet after fresh electronic parts are replenished.
In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of containers are arranged in a vertical direction, which can be removed from the tray feeder independently of each other.
According to the invention, there is provided the lifting-lowering means which vertically moves the drawing portion for drawing the pallet from the container, which contains a plurality of pallets, and for carrying the same thereon. The non-mounted-parts discharge portion for receiving those electronic parts, which are not mounted and are to be discharged, and the replenishing portion for receiving the empty tray and for recharging the pallet are provided above the container. With this construction, there can be achieved the electronic parts-feeding tray feeder which is excellent in operation efficiency, and is compact in size.